Life is a Journey
by SlightlyCrazyYetSane
Summary: We all know and love Mako-the-probender. This story sheds some fanon light on his background. Get ready to know Mako-before-the-probending...I'm sure you'll love him just as much as I do. ;D Rated T because it mostly takes place on the streets.
1. Bending Isn't Always a Blessing Part 1

**A/N: I'm not the only one psyched to find out about Mako's past, am I? Anyway, I came up with this to shed some fanon light on Mako's background. This will (hopefully) become a small series of connected oneshots, (hopefully) chronological, and (hopefully) enjoyable. Do tell me what you think! :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Korra, nor do I own Mako (sadly). Gasp.**

**Also, I apologize for any typos. also doesn't like interrobangs. -_-**

* * *

**Bending Isn't Always a Blessing: Part One**

"Dad! Dad! Dad dad dad dad!" The excited little cries of the young, hyper child rang through the small house. Bright, golden eyes were alight with excitement, and the beaming, gap-toothed smile said more than words could. Seven year old Mako bounded into the small room—just a bit larger than a cupboard, really—and tackled his dad.

His dad let out a small cry of surprise and quickly caught Mako to make sure that he didn't hurt himself—_or_ his precious documents. Glasses askew, the young man who had gray hair amongst his predominantly black and wrinkles beyond his years smiled down at his son, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Well, you're in high spirits today! What's up?" Achin asked with a small smile, ruffling his son's dark hair which so resembled his own, making it messier than it all ready was.

"Guess what!" Mako exclaimed excitedly.

"What?"

"You have to _guess_, daddy!" Mako insisted.

Achin chuckled slightly, shaking his head at his son's antics. He raised his hands in an "I surrender!" gesture.

"All right, all right! Did…did you win against Bolin in a game?"

A shake of the head was given on his guess, anticipation evident on the boy's face.

"No? Hmm…did you read a new book?"

Another shake of the head.

"Did your favorite team win the pro-wrestling championship? The Fantastic Lionturtles, was it?"

"No!" he said impatiently. "And it's the _Fierce _Lionturtles, not the _Fantastic _Lionturtles, dad," he explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and then made a face. "Besides, Fantastic Lionturtles sounds so lame."

Achin scratched his head, wondering what else could get his young boy so excited.

"Well, I give up. What is it?"

Mako, who was now too impatient to play the guessing game with his father, couldn't hold the news in any longer.

"I'm a firebender, daddy!" he blurted out loudly, the same gap-toothed smile on his face, gleaming with joy.

Achin, on the other hand, seemed frozen in shock, a look of horror on his face. One hand gripped the edge of the stool he was sitting on and his eyes were wide with dread.

It wasn't that he was disappointed or sad or revolted; no, he was afraid. _Terrified_, actually, about the fact that his son was in danger.

His son was in danger, and it was all because of him. Because of a silly, idiotic mistake he had made a couple of years ago, his son was _in danger_.

Oh, Spirits, what was he to _do_?

"Daddy…?" Mako called, concern creeping its way into his voice. Why was his father acting so odd? Wasn't this a good thing…?

Still, Achin was in the same position. Possibilities of what could happen if someone found out, if _they _found out, were running through his head.

This was the first time that he had completely, utterly, _truly _regretted joining the Equalists on a whim.

[flashback]

_"So, you got mah money, Achin? Ya know I'm an impatient man. I might _accidentally _burn down your little shop if mah temper gets outta control," the man leered, a nasty smirk on his face as he threatened Achin. Achin gritted his teeth in anger and glared back. _

_ He was thankful for the fact that this wasn't happening near his shop, where his kids could see their father in this embarrassing, mortifying position, but he was also apprehensive about the fact that he was somewhere where he had never been before. A brick wall stared at him a few meters to his left, and the emptiness and silence of the night made it so that he could hear both his own and the breathing of the man in front of him. There wasn't a soul around besides the two of them, which meant no witnesses to whatever heinous deed Yung Ho had in store for him. _

_ "I don't have any damn money, Yung Ho! You took all of it last time!" he shouted back, his temper getting the better of him. "Why can't you just leave me the hell alone?" _

_ "Well, ya obviously got _some _money, dontcha?You got clothes on yo' back, food on the table, and two little kiddies as well, huh?" he asked, the smirk never fading, and then he suddenly adopted a fake sympathetic expression. "Y'know, something could happen to those poor, defenseless little kiddies. Such a cruel, _cruel _world we live in. 'M sure y'know that." _

_ Achin felt the terror bubble up in him, but more than that, there was a fiery, hot, swirling _rage_. How _dare _this bastard threaten his only family? How _dare _he! _

_ Dammit, he wanted to scratch his stupid, idiotic face off. _

_ Yung Ho, seeing Achin's anger plain on his face, smirked again. All he had to do was to wait for Achin to attack and he could finish him off._

_ Self-defense laws were such a wonderful thing. _

_ "DON'T YOU DARE HURT THEM!" Achin roared, flinging himself at Yung Ho, sick and tired of being pushed around, fed up with _him_. _

_ In his fit of rage, he didn't see the small smirk on Yung Ho's face, nor the smug gleam in his eyes. He did see the small spark of flame, though, and belatedly, he realized what he had done._

_ He was going to die. Right here, right now, his life would end—all because he couldn't keep a check on his temper. It wasn't that he was afraid of dying—it's not like he had much worth living for—but he was terrified about what would happen to his boys after his death._

_ How could a young boy of five and his younger brother of three handle living on the streets? How could they survive without him? Dammit, if he was going down, he was taking the bastard in front of him down with him. A feral cry sprung out of his lungs, and he decided that he wouldn't die unless Yung Ho was dead. _

_ He saw the spark of fire spring into a living, breathing, jumping flame, and, as if in slow motion, he saw it come toward him. He had just gotten a taste of the fire on his bare right arm—oh, Spirits, it was _agony_—when _thud_. _

_There was a blow to his right side and he felt the air rush out of him in a single breath. His left side hit the brick wall that was erect near him, and a small groan escaped his lips. _

_ There was a bright flash of blue—was that electricity?—and he heard Yung Ho scream in agony, followed by another small _thud_. _

_ And then, there was silence. Nothing but his own rasping breath could be heard. _

_ He blinked a few times to help him focus his hazy sight and slowly lifted his head. What…what had just happened?_

_ Swiveling his head to his right, taking extra care to not enflame his still-hurting right arm, he suddenly saw Yung Ho. He saw Yung Ho as he had never seen him before. _

_ Yung Ho's dark blue eyes, usually glinting with malice, were open wide in shock and terror. His mouth was slightly agape and an expression of fear encompassed his face, which was tilted slightly to the left. His body was stock still, his palms lying face down on the ground, and his arms were resting by his side. His chest wasn't moving and he was quickly losing color. _

_ In the flash of an eye, there was a man in front of him clothed in a dark jumpsuit-type of clothes. There were some odd goggles hiding his eyes and a dark ski mask covering half his face, a weird, pointy-and-limp, black mustache on his face, reminding Achin of noodles. In his hands, he had two long, congruent sticks with an odd blue coloring at the front. _

_ "Who…who are you…?" _

_ "I am the Lieutenant." His voice was crisp, clipped, and to-the-point, deep and commanding. It was obvious that he was a no-nonsense man, and his whole body was held attentive and rigid. _

_ "Why did you save me?" Achin was sitting up now, cradling his injured arm against his chest. The Lieutenant, huh? He'd have to find out a bit more. _

_ "What was happening was unjust. I do not like benders lording their power over non-benders." _

_ "Well, thank you," Achin said sincerely, and then looked up at him once more. "If you don't mind me asking, though, why are you called 'the Lieutenant'?" _

_ He looked Achin over once, giving him what Achin guessed was a critical once-over, and then opened his mouth._

_ "I am called the Lieutenant because that is who I am. I am second-in-command for a new emerging movement—it is called 'Equalism'. We stand for equal treatment of both non-benders and benders, calling for the punishment of all these horrible, idiotic _fools _that are only above us because they were given a so-called 'gift'…we are treated unfairly. We Equalists stand against the unfairness. We have but one goal in mind—the equal treatment of everyone. Would you like to join us, Achin?" _

_ Achin stared at the Lieutenant in wonder. _

_ "Wh-what?" _

_ "Did you perhaps not understand me? I am offering you a place with the Equalists. To finally try to equalize the world." _

_ "I…" Achin licked his lips. "Why would you want me to join?" _

_ "We are a fairly new movement, as you know. So, we need new members. Members that can recruit new members, and so forth. Right now, we are willing to take anyone with a thirst for justice." _

_ "And you think that I…?"_

_ "That you have that thirst?" he finished for Achin. "Yes." _

_ Achin wondered about the opportunity being offered. Should he take this opportunity? How many times had he wanted to strike back, to obtain fairness, to serve _justice_? _

_ But Achin hesitated. He had children. After his wife's death during Bolin's birth, he was the only family they had left._

_ "I would love to…but I have children. I have children that need me and they come before a movement. I'm…I'm sorry." _

_ Achin felt terrible about refusing this kind man's offer. After he had saved his life, too! But this had to be done. _

_ "Exactly. You have children. Are they benders?" Achin shook his head. "Which means that they will be treated just as poorly as you are by these thugs. Are you willing to subject your children to the same brutality? Are you going to completely abandon your children?" _

_ "I—no, that's not true!" _

_ "It is. And you know it." _

_ Achin glared at the man, angry at the fact that he was blaming him for abandoning his children. He would _never _do anything like that! But then he remembered how he had almost _died _because he had let his anger get the better of him, and he decided the think about what he was saying. Was he willing to abandon his children? To subject to the same lifestyle as his? _

_ No, he would do anything, _anything_, for his children. Even if it meant joining this "Equalist" movement. _

_ "How do I know whether you're serious? That this is not a joke?" he asked. _

_ For the first time, the semblance of a small smile graced the man's features. _

_ "Have a little faith, Mr. Achin. I assure you, you won't be disappointed." _

[end flashback]

Achin had decided that he would have a little faith and had joined the group. At first, it felt amazing. The feeling of fighting, of _rebelling_, was ecstatic. He felt as if he was doing something good, something worthwhile.

And then, the ecstasy wore off. He saw the _truth_. These men weren't after equity—they were extremists. They would hurt, torture, _kill_ benders, even if they weren't a threat, with the reason that they would become a threat anyway given. It would be better to kill them before they could realize their "true nature"—before they could start suppressing the non-benders.

It was revolting.

Worst of all, though, was the single-most important rule: to join, you could have no bender family—either you were killed, or they were. They couldn't let you go once you had joined because the government was after them and once you left, you were a threat. A threat that was better off eliminated.

Of course, all of this inside information was not told to those that were being recruited. Only once you were in was all the information revealed. They also had methods of making sure that no one inside the movement could get the information out—no one but the ones chosen for the job of recruiting, of course.

And now, his son was a bender.

"Daddy…?" Mako asked once more, a small quiver to his voice. "Aren't you proud of me? Is it a bad thing? Daddy?"

The small voice snapped Achin out of his daze and he forced himself to keep the terror at bay. He hugged his son tightly, kissing him on top of his head, and then smiled down at him, controlling his emotions.

"Of course not!" he cried. "I'm so proud of you! A firebender, huh? That's great! Just promise me one thing."

Mako, who was overjoyed at the prospect that his dad was proud of him, dismissed his dad's odd behavior moments earlier. Who cared if he had been acting weird? He was back to normal now, and he was _proud_!

"What?" Mako asked.

"Don't show anyone, all right?" Achin knew that, if anyone else found out his son was a bender, _they _would find out. And if they found out, they would take his precious son away from him. He would not—no, he _could_ not allow that.

"Why?"

"Well, at least not until you're good at it! Who knows what people might do? What if you accidentally burn someone? Then no one would want to play with you since they would be afraid of you."

"_Really_?" Mako asked incredulously.

"Really," Achin repeated solemnly.

Mako nodded in understanding, as serious as a seven-year-old could get. Not only would they not want to play with him, people might also get _jealous_. Mako was sure that _their _fathers weren't proud of them because they were benders like _his _was.

"Can I tell Bolin?" Mako asked after his dad had ruffled his hair and a few moments of silence had passed.

Achin pondered the question for a few seconds.

"I…don't think so," he said slowly, and at his son's dismayed look, he added quickly, "not until he's your age, at least."

"So I can tell Bo in—" he screwed up his face as he calculated "—two years?"

"Yes," Achin replied hesitantly, afraid his son would refuse. "But only for a while. He might tell someone, you see. He's not as mature and responsible as _you _are."

Mako nodded slowly. It was true—he was the more mature and _responsible _sibling; he was older, after all.

"All…right," he said slowly, "but I'm telling him as soon as I can!"

Achin smiled softly. "Of course you can, kiddo." He gazed at Mako lovingly and suddenly hugged him tightly.

"I'm not letting _anyone _take you," he whispered.

Mako blinked, utterly confused. He pulled away, looking up at his father questioningly.

"Daddy…am I going somewhere? Is someone taking me?" he asked, childish innocence gleaming in his curious eyes.

"No, son. No one's going _anywhere_," Achin answered resolutely.

No one was taking his son. _No one_.


	2. Bending Isn't Always a Blessing Part 2

**A/N: So, only tworeviews last chapter. However, thanks to those two reviewers; I'm glad that you enjoyed the story! Here's part two...do tell me how it is. **

**Perhaps more than two reviews this time...?**

**I apologize in advance for any typos. **

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**Bending Isn't Always a Blessing: Part Two**

**A Legend of Korra FF **

"MAKO! MAKO!"

Mako looked up from where he was sitting reading a book and saw his brother running full-speed toward him, followed by some other small, golden-haired, brown-eyed young boy.

"What's up, Bo?" Mako asked, nodding at the boy in greeting, who was probably Bolin's friend, though he wasn't that concerned. If something was wrong, Bo wouldn't be beaming as exuberantly as he was.

"Guess what! Mako, guess what awesomely awesome thing happened today!" he bubbled as he came closer.

Mako raised an eyebrow in question, a bit apprehensive. Bo's definition of "awesome" wasn't exactly on par with his.

"What happened?"

"I'm an EARTHBENDER!" he exclaimed. Mako felt his eyes widen and his mouth open just the slightest in surprise.

"I…are you sure?" he asked in shock.

"Yes! Of course I am!" he said excitedly, bobbing his head up and down.

"Really?" Mako asked, ever the skeptic, though he couldn't hold back the bubbling euphoria. His brother was a bender, too! He had hated having to lie to him, since they _never _hid something from the other—now, he could tell him before the pre-planned two years!

But he couldn't get ahead of himself. He had to make sure that this wasn't just a joke.

"_Yes_!" Bolin replied insistently with a slight whine in his voice.

"Prove it, then."

"I will!" he huffed, puffing out his chest. He took an overdramatic pose with his hands spread out in front of him and shut his eyes, taking two deep breaths. Mako rolled his eyes at his brother's theatrics, and was just about to tell him to get _on _with it when he heard a small rumble. He looked at his brother, who had puffed out his cheeks, and stared in front of him where a rock the size of his head was floating in mid air. Bolin opened his eyes and beamed at Mako, a smug gleam in his eyes.

"_See_? Told you so!" he sung. Mako couldn't help how his jaw had flapped open, and nor could he help the beaming smile that rivaled his brother's from spreading across his face following the initial shock.

His brother…his brother was like him. Oh, Spirits, his brother was like _him_. He couldn't wait to talk to Bolin, to tell Bolin about his _own _bending, to be finally be able to bend with Bolin!

Back when he had first found out about his own bending, he'd been ecstatic. After the initial ecstasy had worn off, though, Mako had realized that not being able to firebend freely was absolutely horrible. It was as if someone had taped his thumbs to his palm and was asking him to pick something up. It was awkward, weird, and just felt plain _wrong. _Firebending was a part of him, like an indispensable limb. Not being able to use it just _sucked. _

In fact, he barely got to firebend at all—at home, his father was too paranoid about someone finding out—though now Mako was beginning to question _why_—and his father had forbidden him to firebend in front of others. Which really narrowed down his options to almost nothing. Even when he was firebending, his father's paranoia had rubbed off on him, so he couldn't do that peacefully, either.

But now…now it would be _different_. Surely his father wouldn't stop him from bending once he realized that his brother was a bender, too!

Mako couldn't help hugging Bolin tightly and letting loose joyful laughter. Bolin joined him by whooping in happiness.

"So…is this great or _what_!" Bolin gushed, jumping up and down in glee once Mako put him down. "Now, it'll be so much easier for Zarind and me to play together! I won't ever have to worry about falling and hurting myself!"

At Bolin's statement, Mako felt dread branching inside of him, the ecstasy gone as quickly as it had come. If his father had made sure that _he _wouldn't tell anyone, did that mean…?

"Bolin," Mako said seriously, and Bolin stopped his happy-dancing. "You didn't tell anyone, did you?"

"What?" Bolin asked, a bit apprehensive because of his brother's serious tone, confused as well.

"Did you tell anyone that you're a bender?"

"I…well, I found out in the street. I didn't _tell _anyone, but a lot of people saw me…" Bolin answered.

Mako took a deep breath. "When was this, Bolin?"

"An hour or two ago…" Bolin said hesitantly.

"Shit," Mako hissed, and Bolin gasped.

"Mako, you used a bad word!"

"It doesn't matter right now! We need to talk to dad," Mako barked, grabbing Bolin's hand and pulling him along.

"Mako…did I do something wrong? Did I do something _bad_?"

Mako was about to say _obviously, _but hesitated from answering when he heard the small quiver in his brother's voice. Glancing back, he saw that a few tears had pooled themselves in Bolin's startlingly earthy-green eyes, and his lower lip was stuck out just the slightest in a small pout.

"No, Bo. We just need to confirm something," Mako assured, his eyes softer than he'd like to admit, his tone of voice much more caring than usual. He couldn't help it. His brother was his weak spot. Because Mako was the older one, he had much more responsibility—looking after the shop while his dad was busy, looking after Bolin, dealing with rowdy customers, dealing with unwanted customers—and he had grown up much quicker than Bo had. Though he wouldn't say that they lived on the streets, his family was poor and lived in a not-so-good neighborhood, with gangs and robbery and violence, so even if his father tried to "protect" him, Mako knew more than he probably should.

And from what he knew, he tried his best to protect his brother from the horrors. Bolin was innocent and naïve, good-natured and charming—he wasn't going to be the one to let that go to ruin.

"Zarind, go back to your mom. Don't say _anything_, all right?" Mako demanded, and Zarind bobbed his head and scurried off.

"Damn it," Mako whispered quietly to himself, and redoubled his pace.

He had to see his father.

* * *

"…did you think that we wouldn't find out, Achin?" Mako heard a man sneer. He stopped dead in front of the back door to his family's shop, pulling Bolin forward and clamping a mouth over his mouth to keep him from saying anything.

You didn't have to be a scholar to realize that this man wasn't 'nice'.

"What are you talking about?" his father asked in a deceptively calm tone, the kind that he would use with Mako when he was upset with something.

"Your son's an earthbender, Achin. Don't tell me you didn't know that?" the man asked in a nastily sympathetic voice, and Mako felt his heart racing.

These people were trouble. It didn't take a scholar to figure that out.

Bolin was struggling in his grip, so he quickly leaned down and shushed him quietly.

"Don't…move," he breathed into Bolin's ear, and Bolin stopped, eyes wide in fright. He could see the green probing him for answers, but Mako couldn't provide them yet. Mako looked over the door for a peephole and found one.

He'd never thought that he'd be happy at the prospect that the shop was a bit rundown, but right now, he felt himself thanking the spirits for the not-so-savvy state of the shop.

The man was wearing the traditional water tribe colors, though this was in suit form opposed to the displays Mako had seen for traditional tribal attire. He had a leering smirk and black, beady eyes, his dark, long hair touching his shoulders. Behind him to his left stood a tall, foreboding, female earthbender with the metalbending-police uniform on, her dark hair tightly tied in a bun on the back of her head and her lips curved into a small, satisfied smirk, her blue eyes cold and calculating. On the other side of the water-tribe man stood a weedy man attired in firebender colors, his hair cropped to his head, but his dark, glinting eyes, the faint lines on his mouth, and the scar that ran from his left cheekbone to the tip of his nose showed hidden strength.

When Mako saw his father, he felt himself gasp a little, and then he stopped himself. _They _couldn't find out he was here. His father, who would always look a bit tired, now looked ready to fall down. His arms were burnt, and his face was bloody. Mako was pretty sure that his nose was also broken. His father was panting, kneeling on the floor and glaring up at the trio. When he heard about his son, though, his eyes widened.

"Wh-what?" Achin gasped out, and then it seemed he regretted it.

Mako's heart sky-rocketed, pumping even faster than before. He was sure that everyone could hear his heart beating. What did these people want with Bo? How could his father defend himself? He felt a lump growing in his throat—what could he _do_?

The water-tribe man laughed harshly. "Oh-ho! What do you know! He _doesn't _know that his own son is an earthbender! What a bad father!" he declared, and the earthbender got out a laugh that was more like a bark, though the firebender just gave him a cold look. The waterbender ignored him. "Don't worry, though. We didn't know either, until a few moments ago.

"Hurry it up, waterbender," the firebender ordered in a calm, controlled, harsh voice. "Don't play with your food."

The waterbender sneered at him. "Yeah, yeah, I'm getting on with it." He turned to look at Mako's father. "So, what's it gonna be, Achin? You can't abandon us, you know that, so I'm thinking that we'll just get your son…"

_No! _Mako wanted to yell. _Leave him alone!_ He wanted to go on a firebender-frenzy, he wanted to burn these people to a crisp, he wanted to _save _his father.

But…but he couldn't move. Oh, Spirits, why couldn't he _move_? His body was stuck, the hand on Bolin's mouth tightening its grip, his body tensing, but he couldn't _go in_. Subconsciously, he was glad about the fact that Bolin wasn't watching this, that he couldn't see through the door.

"Why are you helping them? Don't you understand that these people want to do away with benders?" Achin asked incredulously.

All three of them smirked.

"You don't get it, do you? We don't _care _about all that equal-shmequal bullshit. That Amon guy, he doesn't want to get his hands dirty. You see, when you're killed, they'll use your case to help their cause. Us benders, oh, us _horrible _benders murdered you in cold blood! Oh, woe be you! Poor, poor Achin-the-shopkeeper; benders took away his life and left his children homeless, alone, and fatherless. But to do that, he needs _us_. And to get _us_, he needs money. Which he happens to have a lot of. You know, Achin, us _specialized _benders aren't very well-respected; we just want the money. Honor, glory, blah blah blah, those things can go fuck themselves. It's money that makes the world go 'round." The waterbender finished his monologue rather dramatically, tapping Achin on the head. "Plus, this'll all blow over soon. I doubt that this shit's gonna get serious. I'm gonna take advantage of the opportunity, though. So, who's it gonna be, Achin? Should we go get your son?"

"Over my dead body," Achin hissed in defiance, and then realized his mistake.

"All right! You're the lucky candidate!" the waterbender declared in an overly cheerful turn. He gave Achin a sunny smile. "See ya!"

_No, no, no, _no! _Daddy! _Daddy! Mako screamed internally, but still, he couldn't move himself.

It was quick—in a flash, the waterbender had pierced his father's chest with an ice-knife. His father let out a small gasp, his eyes wide and his mouth agape, and then he fell face-down onto the floor.

To Mako, though, it felt as if a life-time had passed. He had slowly seen the man reach up, bend the water out of a canister on his waist, and force it through his father after bending it into ice. He _felt _the ice pierce his own chest, felt his life-force bleeding away, felt his father's _pain_, but he was unable to make a noise—not of love, not of sorrow, not of grief. It was just silence, his eyes glistening with tears that were slowly starting to fall, and to Mako, that silence was worse.

His father hadn't even been able to listen to him before he had passed away. He couldn't have even _helped _his father.

Spirits, he was _useless_.

"No…" he finally got out in a whisper, sinking to his knees, the tears freely falling down his face, the hand on Bolin's mouth falling away. "No…"

"Mako, what happened? Mako? Mako?" Bolin asked. "I heard those men…what did they want with daddy? Why were they here? Mako? Why…why are you crying? Mako?" Bolin kept on asking, his lip quivering dangerously as well. "Mako…?"

"Oh, Spirits, _no_," Mako sobbed.

"Mako?" Bolin asked in a small voice. "What happened? Where's daddy?"

"He's gone, Bolin. Father's gone," Mako told Bolin in a whisper, just staring in front of him.

"Gone? You mean…what do you mean? He's not…he's not…" Bolin stopped, unable to finish the sentence.

"He's dead, Bo."

"But…but he _can't _be, Mako," Bolin sniffled, the tears cascading down his cheeks. "Mako, daddy _can't _be gone. He's inside, I know it! He's just kidding! He's fooling you!You're being silly!" Bolin pushed open the door, determined to prove his brother wrong. Because Bolin _knew _that his brother was kidding. His brother _couldn't _be serious.

"No, Bolin!" Mako warned, but it was too late. The trio had seen them.

"Well, well, well…what do we have here?" the waterbender leered. Bolin stopped, looking at the man with fearful eyes. "This is the little earthbender, huh?"

Bolin didn't answer—_couldn't _answer. He felt paralyzed in fear. Just as quickly, though, the fear turned into anger.

These men…these men had hurt daddy. These men had made Mako cry!

"You suck! You…you…you're like _shit_!" Bolin swore, using the worst word he knew. Yeah, it was a bad word; these were bad people.

"Why you little..." the waterbender snarled, reaching out for Bolin, but the firebender stopped him.

"Leave him; his father's all ready dead," he said in his customary cold voice, but Bolin stopped.

"D-d-dead?" he asked in a small voice. "He's actually...he's actually...dead...?"

"Of course he is, little kid," the waterbender said with smugness, a smirk on his face, and the firebender grabbed his arm. At that moment, Mako bound in front of Bolin, staring at the men in defiance, his eyes narrowed and a defensive position employed.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the older son. You know-" before the man could finish, the firebender started talking.

"We need to leave. _Now_. Before the real police get a whiff of the murder."

"He's right," the woman said in a bored voice, filing her nails. She looked up at the two men. "I don't mind killing, but I _do _mind getting caught. I've infiltrated the metalbending police; that's more than you can say, waterbender. You can dally around and get caught, but I'm leaving." She turned on her heel and walked out.

The waterbender ripped his arm out from the grip of the firebender. "Let's go." He looked toward Bolin. "You're very lucky, kid." And then, he stormed out.

The firebender looked at them, and for a second, Mako thought that he saw a flash of an emotion-was that anger? Jealousy? Pity?-and then it was gone. He walked out as well.

Bolin pushed Mako out of the way, still unconvinced. All he needed to see was his father, and he would be fine...

What he saw, though, brought on a fresh bout of sobs. Bolin stumbled toward his father's face-down figure, crying all the way, and sunk to his knees next to his father's face. Gently, he smoothed away the hair that had fallen into his father's eyes, and saw the same gold eyes he had known his whole life staring back at him.

But they weren't like he remembered. These…these were _empty_.

"Daddy…" Bolin choked out, and he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see his brother standing next to him. "Mako…Mako…why's daddy gone? He won't come back, will he? Will he? Mako…why did this happen to us?"

Mako sunk to his own knees and clutched his brother close, sobbing himself.

"I don't know, Bolin. I don't know," he kept on repeating quietly.

The two brother's clutched each other as if the other was life, refusing to let go. Both brother's cried into the night, wondering and questioning and asking _why_.

Why was it _them_?


	3. AUTHOR'S NOTE

**A/N: All right. So, I know these suck. If I'm the cause of you pulling your hair out or accidentally punching your screen because you're treated to _another _bloody AN after I haven't updated in FOREVER, I'm so sorry. I really am. I just had to put this up here since I am officially taking a hiatus from fanfic. A teeny tiny part of it is because of the new layout––imagine checking in after a month and finding all this new crap here, and stupid FORMAT ISSUES : ––but it's mostly because I've recently started my own original, (hopefully) full-length novel. I've sort of lost interest in writing fanfiction, and though I _might _return later on, I highly doubt it. So, this is my way of saying that I probably won't be writing here anymore and pleasepleaseplease don't kill me. Yeah, for those of you that actually liked my writing and looked forward to reading more stuff...I am a very apologetic writer.  
**

**So...yeah. This is probably farewell for a while. You guys were all awesome reviewers, and even though some of you would fav w/o reviewing, (leaving me in a -_- mood, mind you), I still love you all. 3 Thank you guys so much for all the encouragement and the critiquing-it's because of fanfiction that I've finally taken it a step further and started my own novel. :) **

**For those of you wondering, here's the description of my novel: **A captain of a ship, a leader of a crew, and a pirate to boot, Raven's one incredibly happy lass. The endless sky and the infinite sea greet her and her ship, Witch Hunter, and she relishes in the fact that she's free from society and its constraints. Day after day can be spent on the beautiful sea, in her opinion, with no need to set foot on land. She loves the ocean, the water, and she's as content as they come. That is, of course, until she gets captured by that smarmy Navy captain James Tarrent. Now, she and her crew have been captured and are being led to their deaths, a noose already ready for them all. But instead of that, it seems that Fate has changed her mind again: Raven's suddenly being forced to help the thrice-blasted Navy to save her crew and herself, and at the same time, she's got to keep her own bubbling secret inside. She's a threat, after all, to the way society functions, and she plans on NEVER revealing that fact. If someone caught wind of her power, she'd be burned at the stake, no questions asked and no trial needed. But it's not that simple, oh no. What starts as a simple instructional trip warps into a conspiracy plot, one complete with demons and spirits, witches and sorcerers. She's stuck, and she's got nowhere else to go. The closer she gets to helping solve this conundrum, the closer she gets to revealing her own secret, her own magic, and she wonders whether she will ever be truly free.

**Part of it's posted up on Wattpad, and I'd love if you guys would come over and read/review it, or just let me know how I'm doing. I'd love to get to know you all more personally over there! It's a great community, if a bit crowded. Thanks in advance if you do decide to give my original novel-writing skills a chance! I must say, my writing's improved than before...**

**Au revoir, my dear readers! I hope to see you all soon. Thank you, again, for all that you've done. :) 3 **

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**Link to novel: www . wattpad . [c] [o] [m] /story/1587384-endless-skies-and-infinite-seas (delete the spaces and the unnecessary brackets :))**


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